Newsletter of the Georgia Mountaineers Chapter of FMCA

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Tiffany Sparks
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FDR State Park is close by, as well as Warm Springs, Roosevelt s Little White House. Also close by is Wild Animal Safari and city of LaGrange which has Hill & Dales Estate.

It is convenient to get in and out of on Highway 27, and has a variety of sight seeing choices that are close by. A lot of Antique stores are there for your perusing.

1 Newsletter of the Georgia Mountaineers Chapter of FMCA April 22-25, 2015 Pine Mountain RV Resort Pine Mountain, GA Hosts: Doug & Terry Gibbs and Jim & Karen Mathis Pine Mountain RV Resort is a well kept RV Resort. It is very nice and clean. It is about three miles from Callaway Gardens, and the Town of Pine Mountain. FDR State Park is close by, as well as Warm Springs, Roosevelt s Little White House. Also close by is Wild Animal Safari and city of LaGrange which has Hill & Dales Estate. The campground has a nice activity center for hosting rallies, which is modernized with plenty of space. It is convenient to get in and out of on Highway 27, and has a variety of sight seeing choices that are close by. A lot of Antique stores are there for your perusing. There are many good dining choices also. Members Camping: Ken & Margie Alexander, Ted & Martha Barrett, Hubert & Marsha Brown, Paul & Marsha Burlack, Dorris & Ethel Carpenter, Ken & Barbara Cook, Don & Peggy Crump, Ed & Patricia Durrence, Jerry & Laura Eaves, Doug & Terry Gibbs, Paul & Madonna Holko, Fred & Shirley Lee, Jim & Karen Mathis, Jerry & Irene McKellar, Mike & Kathie Newton, Randy & Yvonne Tyson, and Jack & Chris White. We had some cancellations. They were Linda Callas and Marie Lester, due to sickness and Dave & Brenda Dillon, due to a business commitment. Hope to see you at the next rally. Visitors Camping: First Time Visitors: Barry & Wendy Jones of Zebulon, GA arrived Wednesday and brought granddaughter Abigail Martin with them. LaReese & Berna Howell of Fairburn arrived Thursday. Elwood & Sharon Miller of Sugar Hill, GA arrived Friday. Second Time Visitors: Peter & Peggy Bertasi of Gainesville, GA arrived on Thursday. Randy and Patty Lord of Villa Rica, GA arrived on Monday. The Bertasi and Lords joined our chapter at this rally. Welcome to the Georgia Mountaineers.

Also The Mathis family, Dave and Dawn Sterling, Heaven & Shannon Larson, Autumn Gibson and Bailey Congo joined us for Saturday night potluck dinner.

2 Guests: Terry Gibbs sister, Gayle Porterfield joined us for dinner at Crickets and stayed for Hand & Foot Wednesday evening. The Tysons niece, Joie Nesbit joined us for Saturday night potluck dinner and Sunday Devotional. Also The Mathis family, Dave and Dawn Sterling, Heaven & Shannon Larson, Autumn Gibson and Bailey Congo joined us for Saturday night potluck dinner. Monday: The day brought several arrivals including Ted & Martha Barrett, Hubert & Marsha Brown, Dorris & Ethel Carpenter, Ed & Patricia Durrence, Jerry & Irene McKellar. Also visitors Randy & Patty Lord arrived today. Jack & Chris White had arrived on Saturday. A group of 8 people went to Three Pigs BBQ Restaurant for dinner. The pre-rally fun had begun. Tuesday: Two more coaches arrived today which included Jim & Karen Mathis, and Paul & Madonna Holko. This brought the number of coaches to nine. People were taking in the local sightseeing such as beautiful Callaway Gardens and other places, as well as resting at the camp. A group of 10 people went to Super Chinese Buffet in LaGrange for dinner. There was a large selection of food from which to choose. The group included: Ted & Martha Barrett, Hubert & Marsha Brown, Dorris & Ethel Carpenter, Jerry & Irene McKellar, and Jack & Chris White. Dorris Carpenter offered the blessings for the food. Wednesday: More coaches arrived today, which were the Alexanders, Burlacks, Cooks, Crumps, Eaves, Lees, Newtons, and Tysons. Visitors arriving this day were Barry and Wendy Jones, and granddaughter, Abbigail Martin. This brought the number of coaches to 19. The rally officially began today at 2:30 PM when we had a meet and greet at the pavilion. As we came in, we were given a kit to make an RV Soap box Derby car. The couples were to work together to make a racecar out of the contents of the kit. After the car was built, we were encouraged to race and challenge others to a race. First through third place prizes were given out. The first place prize went to Dorris Carpenter. Second place went to Hubert Brown. Third place went to Paul Holko.

Karen Mathis introduced Brenda Sellers, group/activities director for Pine Mountain RV Resort and Amanda Huckabee, General Manager.

3 The visitors, Barry & Wendy Jones of Zebulon, and Randy & Patty Lord of Villa Rica, were introduced and welcomed by Karen Mathis. Karen Mathis welcomed everyone, and gave information about the agenda and changes. The hosts had packets of information about the area for each coach. Karen Mathis introduced Brenda Sellers, group/activities director for Pine Mountain RV Resort and Amanda Huckabee, General Manager. They welcomed us and told us to let them know if they could make our stay any better. They announced that Pine Mountain RV Resort would be acquiring a Big Screen for the wall in the Activities Building. It should be available for our next trip. Following announcements, we had snacks of fruit, cookies, brownies, and lemonade. It was time to chit-chat and catch up with each other. Everyone seemed to enjoy the fellowship. At 5:00 a group of 38 caravanned to Cricket s for dinner that evening. Also joining us was Terry Gibbs sister, Gayle Porterfield who stayed for a Hand and Foot card game later in the evening. Cricket s is a restaurant specializing in New Orleans cuisine. It has been in business for 36 years. They put complimentary bread on the table. The All You Can Eat Catfish was a popular item for the evening. Ed Durrence gave the blessing for the food. Those going to Cricket s were Alexanders, Barretts, Browns, Carpenters, Cooks, Crumps, Durrences, Eaves, Gibbs, Holkos, Jones, Lees, Lords, Mathises, McKellars, Newtons, Tysons, and Whites. After dinner, back at the campground there was a fire in the fire pit and activities of Hand and Foot (1 table of 4) and two Fast Track games held in the pavilion. Thursday: We woke up to another beautiful day with the temperature in the 60 s and quickly rose to the 70 s and higher. The day started at 11:00 with everyone going to the Fried Tomato Buffet in LaGrange. We had a group of 36 for lunch. It was a great place to eat with reasonable prices and also a good variety of food to choose from. Afterwards, we caravanned to Hills and Dales Estate for a tour of the Fuller E. Callaway, Sr. House and Ferrell Gardens. There are 35 acres of rolling hills and shady dales open to the public. It contains the beautiful home of textile magnate Fuller E. Callaway, Sr. and his family, which is a beautiful Italian villa designed by the noted architects Neel Reid and Hal Hentz, and was completed in 1916 as the centerpiece. A major restoration of the house was completed in April 2010, and all three floors of the home are open for guided tours. The home is totally open for viewing with a guide with no roped-off rooms. The home was lived in until 1998 and is now open for guided tours of the 30-room house. It also contains the formal boxwood gardens planted in the mid-19 th century by Sarah Ferrell between 1841 and 1903.

There was a large greenhouse with beautiful plants and flowers. The flowers from the gardens are also used for fresh flower arrangements in the house. There was an herb garden and fountains also.

4 There was a large greenhouse with beautiful plants and flowers. The flowers from the gardens are also used for fresh flower arrangements in the house. There was an herb garden and fountains also. The visitor center featured museum exhibits, a 14-minute orientation film and a gift shop. Today brought the arrival of the Bertasis and Howells. This brought the number of coaches up to 21. Later in the evening the fire pit was a scene for socializing and there was a table of 4 for Hand and Foot card playing, plus two Fast Track games going on in the activities building. Friday: The weather was nice and cool first thing in the morning but quickly warmed up and there was also a nice breeze blowing all week. Today brought the arrival of the Millers. We had a total of 22 coaches by Friday for this rally. It was decided at the Fire Pit Thursday evening for an impromptu breakfast meeting at Eddy Mae s Country Buffet at 9:30. There was a group of 22 people that met for breakfast. Lunch was on our own today. Friday afternoon s agenda was a trip to the Wildlife Animal Safari. After the visit to the ticket office we all boarded a zebra painted school bus, with no windows, for our wildlife safari. Of course we were equipped with our bags of animal food and a good supply of slobber towels, a very necessary item. As we crossed over the cattle grate, we were met immediately by an onrush of wild animals, as they knew the bus brought food. Even though we were cautioned by our bus-driving guide about how to feed the animals without losing fingers, all caution was thrown to the wind. Additionally, if one did not know better, they would have thought all the senior citizens on the bus had been replaced with eight to ten year olds. There was laughter, giggling, hooping and hollering, and even some unrecognizable noises -- a total regression from elderly folks to back sometime in their early youth. This was especially true when the giraffe stuck her head in the bus door and halfway through the bus. It was truly a great adventure and everyone had a very good time. Luckily, no fingers were lost, but those slobber towels sure did come in handy. Dinner was at San Marcos Mexican Restaurant in Pine Mountain with cars leaving the campground between 5:00 and 5:15. A group of 31 people enjoyed Mexican food. The blessing was given by LaReese Howell, chapter visitor and former Military Chaplain. I won t even begin to name the different dishes that people had but some did try Margaritas. Later back at the camp, there was a fire in the fire pit along with Hand & Foot card games and Fast Track games.

Several people went to Eddy Mae s Breakfast Buffet in the morning. Two tables of Fast Track were played in the afternoon. A potluck was held in the clubhouse at 6:00 p.m. with Jim Mathis pulled pork BBQ.

5 Saturday: A couple of coaches left early, due to the rain and possible severe weather that was forecasted, and for other reasons. It did rain early in the morning, but by 9:00 the rain was gone and it was nice and cool with a slight breeze blowing. Breakfast, lunch and sightseeing were on our own today. Several people went to Eddy Mae s Breakfast Buffet in the morning. Two tables of Fast Track were played in the afternoon. A potluck was held in the clubhouse at 6:00 p.m. with Jim Mathis pulled pork BBQ. We all contributed side dishes and desserts, to make a well-rounded potluck meal. Jack White gave thanks for the food. Everyone enjoyed the food and there was plenty of it. The visitors and guests were introduced and welcomed. The Bertasis and Lords were announced as new members. The rally fee was announced at $6.00 per person. After the meal and fellowship, there was a fire in the fire pit and Fast Track games played in the pavilion. Sunday: The weather was beautiful as we gathered at the pavilion for coffee, and donuts. The blessing was given by Dorris Carpenter. Around 9:15 AM, we had a short devotional by Ethel Carpenter. Then it was time to say our goodbyes, and except for a few staying over til Monday, hit the road on the way home or other places. A Great Big THANK YOU goes to our Co- Hosts Doug & Terry Gibbs and Jim & Karen Mathis. We enjoyed the rally very much. In closing, we want to thank our Visitors for attending our Rally. We hope you had a good time and will come back again. This picture is missing the Howells as they had to depart early before I was able to take a picture.

This is the time of the year when many will be making extended trips. We wish for everyone safe travels. Please remember our members who are sick and those in the hospital.

6 This is the time of the year when many will be making extended trips. We wish for everyone safe travels. Please remember our members who are sick and those in the hospital. This photo was from Saturday night, with thanks from Ted Barrett who snapped the photo for us. We extend a warm Georgia Mountaineer welcome to Peter & Peggy Bertasi and Randy & Patty Lord who joined our chapter at this rally. We are happy that you joined our group. Announcements: We still need hosts for Cove Creek RV Resort in Sevierville/Pigeon Forge, TN on July 15th thru the 18th, Crossing Creeks/Mountain View in Blairsville on August 19th thru the 22nd, and the Newton s need a co-host for River Bend Campground in Hiawassee, GA on Sept 16th thru the 19th. RALLY REMINDER: May: 20th thru 23rd Holiday TRAV-L-PARK. Chattanooga, TN. Reservations Req Directions: NB I-75 Exit 1B, SB Exit 1, west on US-41, ¼ mile to Mack Smith Road, go left/south 0.7 mile, RV Park is on the right. Hosts: Stutzes & Holkos June: 17 th thru 20 th Leisure Acres Campground. Cleveland GA. Reservations Req Directions: SB from Cleveland, From jct of US-129 and SR-115 S 3.8 miles to Westmoreland Rd, west 0.5 mi (L). Or NB From Clermont N on US 129 to jct of US-129 and Westmoreland Road (2.8 mi N of Jct of US-129 and SR-254) W 0.5 mi on Westmoreland Road (L). See Hosts: Carpenters D&E, Durrences, & Burlacks July: 15th thru 18th Cove Creek RV Resort. Sevierville/Pigeon Forge TN, 3293 Wears Valley Rd. Reservations Req Directions: From Pigeon Forge TL #3 approx. 8 miles south off Wears Valley Road, after seven miles look for Robeson Road on your left, then a sign that says "Bear Camp Grill" once you see that sign be prepared to turn left into the resort. From Townsend, approx. 7 miles north after US-321 separates from SR Hosts: Irene McKellar Substituting for Brenda Dillon, Newsletter Editor

Newsletter of the Georgia Mountaineers Chapter of FMCA

Newsletter of the Georgia Mountaineers Chapter of FMCA May 14-17, 2014 Pine Mountain RV Resort Pine Mountain, GA Hosts: Linda Callas, Marie Lester, John & June Huffman Pine Mountain RV Resort is a very